Maxime Lenssens shared this video with just a simple note: “Mind blowing solo with ‘McSim 3’.” The mind blowing solo is by bassist Linley Marthe, who is joined by Jozef Dumoulin on keys and Lenssens on drums in this November, 2015 performance in Brussels.

Fan clips and audio of the Dead & Company’s recent Halloween performance at Madison Square Garden have been trickling onto the web over the past few days, proving that the group is firing on all cylinders. The band features three original Grateful Dead members – Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann – with the “company” consisting of John Mayer,...

Years before he landed the gig with The Rolling Stones, Darryl Jones was blowing people’s minds in the jazz and fusion scenes with the likes of Miles Davis and Steps Ahead. Here’s a killer clip of Jones taking the audience on a ride with Steps Ahead, live in Japan on their 1986 concert. Jones builds the five-minute solo by starting...

We’re celebrating Independence Day with a clip of U.S. Air Force bass player Colin Trusedell performing his take on “Amerika, the Beautiful,” as popularized in the bass world by Jaco Pastorius. The track comes from Trusedell’s latest recording, All By Myself. Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

Here’s a fantastic video of Louis Armstrong handing the spotlight over to bassist Arvell Shaw for a bass feature on “How High the Moon,” from a 1963 performance in Sydney, Australia. Shaw pulls out all the stops during the nearly 7-minute romp. “Show business,” he says, just before breaking out his bow to play all the way up into the...

Our Facebook friend Jeffrey Johnson suggested we check out the work of bassist Miki Santamaria, and we’re glad he did. There’s a ton to like about this bassist. On this video, Miki showcases his soloing skills over the changes to Eric Clapton’s tune “Old Love”. Digging the solo and the tone. The bass – a Modulus Funk Unlimited 4 –...

Among the great tunes on Jaco Pastorius’ self-titled solo debut was “(Used to Be A) Cha-Cha”. His solo is a tricky one, at an upbeat tempo and with Jaco’s trademark melodic and syncopated lines. Along with Jaco, Hubert Laws (piccolo and flute), Herbie Hancock (piano), Lenny White (drums) and Don Alias (congas) performed on the original. Here is my take...

This month’s transcription is bassist Tal Wilkenfeld’s fantastic solo on the Jeff Beck classic “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers”. There are several live recordings of this track, but the one transcribed here is from the Crossroads Guitar Festival from 2007. Download the transcription (PDF) and follow along: Tal’s stellar performance on this track has proved enormously popular, making it an...